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Pronouns and possessives, part 5 of 6
Possessive 's in English: Ana's Car, the Kids' Room
To say who owns something, put the owner first with 's: Ana's car. If the owner is a plural ending in s, add only the apostrophe: my parents' house.
The idea
What the possessive 's is
It is how you say who owns something with the owner's name. The owner comes first and takes 's.
- The owner first. Before the thing: Ana's car.
- Plural with s: only '. No extra s: my parents' house.
- It can stand alone. When the thing is clear: This bag is Laura's.
When to use it
To say who owns something with the owner's name: Ana's car, my parents' house. These expressions go with it:
Family
- my mom's sister
- my wife's parents
- Ana's son
- my brother's kids
Everyday places
- the doctor's office
- the kids' school
- the women's room
- the men's room
With time words
- today's news
- tomorrow's meeting
- Mother's Day
Examples
- A person's
This is Tom's phone.
- Family
My cousin's wife is from Peru.
- An animal's
The dog's bed is in the kitchen.
- Plural owners
My parents' house is near the park.
- Irregular plurals
The children's toys are on the floor.
- Without the noun
This isn't my bag. It's Laura's.
How to build it
3 steps
- Put the owner firstBefore the thing:Ana car
- Add 's to the ownerNo space, with the apostrophe up high:Ana's car
- Plural with s: only the apostropheIf the owner already ends in a plural s, do not add another:my parents' car
One owner
- Owner + 'sAna's
- thingcar
- rest of the sentenceis red.
Plural owners with s
- Plural owner + 'My parents'
- thingcar
- rest of the sentenceis old.
Where the apostrophe goes
Look at the owner
- my bossmy boss's
- the dogthe dog's
- my sistermy sister's
- the girlsthe girls'
- my friendsmy friends'
- menmen's
- womenwomen's
- peoplepeople's
The rule
How the 's sounds
| Sounds like | After | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| /z/ | most sounds | Tom's, Ana's, the dog's |
| /s/ | p, t, k, f | Pat's, the cat's, my wife's |
| /ɪz/ (one more syllable) | s, z, ch, sh | my boss's, George's, Liz's |
How to pronounce it
mary's
/ˈmɛriz/The 's buzzes like a /z/.
children's
/ˈtʃɪldrənz/Children is already plural; the 's sounds like /z/.
parents'
/ˈpɛrənts/It sounds the same as parents: you only see the apostrophe.
Check
The house belongs to my uncles (two of them). Which one is it?
Don't confuse it with the plural
My sisters live in Lima.
Sisters: more than one
My sister's house is in Lima.
Sister's: who owns the house
The plural -s says there are several. The 's says who owns something. They sound the same; the apostrophe makes the difference.
Plurals in EnglishIn real life
In speech, the 's is also used for someone's home or business without saying the noun: I'm at my mom's. We eat at Luigi's.
Frequently asked questions
Is it James's or James' in English?
With a name that ends in s, both are accepted: James's car and James' car. With a plural like the girls, though, only the apostrophe goes: the girls' room.
How do you show that two people share something?
If they share it, the 's goes only at the end: Ana and Luis's car. If each one has their own, it goes on both: Ana's and Luis's cars.
Is the 's in Ana's car the same as in Ana's here?
No. In Ana's car it says who owns it; in Ana's here it means Ana is here. If a noun comes after it (car, book), it is the possessive.
When do you use of instead of 's in English?
With things you usually use of: the end of the movie, the top of the page. The 's goes mostly with people, animals, and places: Ana's car, the dog's bed, Mexico's capital.
In short
- The owner goes first and takes 's: Ana's car.
- A plural ending in s takes only the apostrophe: my parents' house.
- A plural with no s takes 's: children's, men's.
- No the before a name: Ana's phone, not the Ana's phone.